“A TENNIS fan was seriously injured after a metal roof collapsed on the crowd. Supporters were at a beach tennis tournament in Brazil at the weekend when mayhem broke out. Sign up for the Sport newsletter Thank you! A metal roof structure collapsed on fans at a beach tennis event in Brazil Credit: newsX The”, — write: www.thesun.co.uk
Supporters were at a beach tennis tournament in Brazil at the weekend when mayhem broke out.
Thank you!
A metal roof structure collapsed on fans at a beach tennis event in BrazilCredit: newsX
The shocking incident was captured on videoCredit: newsX Disaster struck when winds of close to 40mph struck the Arena Beach Riberao in the state of Sao Paulo on Saturday.
The gusts saw the structure covering the main grandstand topple over on to spectators and damage the court.
It is understood nine fans were injured in total.
The local Civil Defence stated one victim suffered a head injury.
Brazilian emergency services were called to the site – a four-hour drive north of Sao Paulo city.
They treated the injured and transported them to nearby Unimed Hospital.
Seven of the nine have been discharged.
However, a 44-year-old man required surgery on his head and a 33-year-old woman needed operations on her thigh and right shoulder.
Firefighters also conducted an evacuation.
Video footage from fans at the Sand Series Ribeirao Preto event showed terrified tennis spectators desperately escaping the temporary stands in the immediate aftermath of the collapse.
Sand Series organisers confirmed Sunday’s semi-finals and final would take place behind closed doors and weekend tickets would be refunded.
City authorities confirmed the event had the required safety permits in place and investigations are underway into the incident, which saw the damaged court remain closed.
Sand Series Ribeirao Preto said in a statement: “A strong gale knocked down the central grandstand’s roof.
“There was a coordinated evacuation by the fire department, without any chaos or accident resulting from the public’s exit.
“As a consequence of the incident, according to the latest update from local authorities, nine people were injured, with no fatalities.
“The event’s organisation is personally accompanying the assistance being provided at the hospital.
“Soon, the Sand Series Ribeirao Preto organisation will release new information about the location for retrieving lost belongings and the continuation of the competition.
“The Sand Series Ribeirao Preto wishes a swift recovery to the injured and is offering its full support to the fans who were present at the venue.”
Terrified fans fled the sceneCredit: NewsX
Winds hit close to 40mph on SaturdayCredit: newsX
Nine spectators were taken to hospital with two needing surgeryCredit: newsX